In World War One the life expectancy of a British pilot was barely 16 hours. It was known as the 'Suicide Club'
Pilot Kenneth van der Spuy wrote: 'I spotted a strange aircraft so I sidled up to him and saw he was a Hun…
‘I got my revolver and we had a revolver battle up there. We were very close to each other and I could see him quite well.
‘I finished my six shots and he had finished his. We both waved each other goodbye and set off.' ( an Image from RAF Cosford Airshow taken last year.)
The poppy field foreground, contains an image of a sculpture by Andy de Comyn of a blindfolded British soldier,17 year old Private Herbert Burden. Herbert was 16 when he lied about his age to enlist in the army. Before our current knowledge and understanding of battlefield fatigue and PTSD. Lest we forget, Herbert along with 346 British soldiers were shot at dawn for desertion. A lasting permanent tribute can be found at The National Memorial Arboretum http://www.thenma.org.uk/
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